Wonderware and Origin BV Form Strategic Alliance

Wonderware Corp., a unit of the Siebe Intelligent Automation division, earlier this month entered into a strategic alliance with Origin BV, a global information technology solutions provider and ERP implementation services provider.

The two companies will integrate the shop floor with enterprise systems. Solutions will be based on the Wonderware FactorySuite software for developing plant floor automation applications that interface directly with customer ERP solutions from SAP, Baan, QAD and others.

"As part of our offerings we supply consultancy, system integration, implementation and support services for ERP and manufacturing execution systems (MES) applications, using standard software systems from major suppliers such as SAP AG, QAD and Baan, explained Wim Verkuijlen, Origin director of industrial automation. "In the past, we have developed custom software for plant floor control systems. This non-exclusive alliance with Wonderware will eliminate the need for our engineers to create custom software, allowing us to provide powerful plant floor solutions using standard, off-the-shelf application development modules from their FactorySuite package," Verkuijlen said.

"Origin can now provide services covering the complete supply chain, from the plant floor to the ERP level, with real-time data being used on a transactional basis for updating all elements of these enterprise-wide systems as events occur rather than waiting for end-of-shift, end-of-day or end-of-month batch reports," said Joe Cowan, Wonderware vice president of sales and marketing.

The Wonderware FactorySuite provides technologies that are critical to almost any plant application. The suite includes development versions of all tools for application creation, plus sufficient run-time versions for test and verification of applications.

The FactorySuite includes modules for process visualization, PC-based machine and process control; resource management and work-in-process (WIP) tracking; flexible batch management; a real-time, relational plant information database; Internet/intranet browser and server components for remote application and data viewing; and a library of more than 700 I/O servers for interfacing to control and sensor devices on plant floors.

Origin BV, with headquarters in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, provides a full spectrum of information technology services for global corporations and other complex "extended enterprises".